


Catalogue Of Things Unsaid

by ZeroMonster



Category: DCU
Genre: Daddy Kink, Gen, Humor, Identity Porn, Kidnapping, M/M, Misunderstandings, New 52, Oral Sex, POV Outsider, Post JL:War, Secret Relationship, Team Dynamics, minor Hal Jordan/Barry Allen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-23
Updated: 2019-12-23
Packaged: 2021-02-25 05:01:41
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,805
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21910414
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZeroMonster/pseuds/ZeroMonster
Summary: In the early days of the Justice League, only Hal Jordan knew that Bruce Wayne was Batman. He'd honestly forgotten about it… until the League found out Superman was sleeping with Bruce Wayne.
Relationships: Clark Kent/Bruce Wayne
Comments: 29
Kudos: 546
Collections: Superbat Exchange Winter 2019





	1. Is it him or me?

**Author's Note:**

> For: Nixie_DeAngel!! This could've been angsty, if I was capable of writing such a thing. Nevertheless, I hope you like it!
> 
> For the prompt: The Justice League find out that Superman is dating Batman and Bruce Wayne, which they think are two different people. 
> 
> Have in mind that I'm writing the New 52 version of the characters, sort of, so their personalities may be different than usual. All the world's thanks to my beta: Kdin. All remaining errors are mine.

“That what it’s called?” Green Lantern asked. “SETI? What does it stand for?”

Out of the corner of his eye, someone moving faster than all the jet planes he’d ever flown painted a red brushstroke on the air. Hal jostled his broken arm trying to follow it. _Fuck, that hurt like a mother-_

“Search for Extra Terrestial Intelligence,” the Flash answered, next to his new stacked pile of debris. “They programmed these radio telescopes to track a narrowband signal of less than 300 Hz, and since cosmic phenomena can’t create that frequency, they’d hoped that if they caught a signal like that it meat that someone had to have sent it. Someone as in intelligent life forms on distant planets.”

Hal looked up beyond the nice crater he was standing in on the road to the damage around them. The floor was barely visible from all the rubble, despite everyone’s best efforts there were still some fires alive inside of what looked like a few leveled skyscrapers, street lamps were bent like stamped flowers on the sideroad, and he mournfully stared at what looked like a Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor’s wing. 

“Well,” Hal said. He raised a hand to his curls and it set loose a grey cloud of dust that coated his eyelashes. He’ll be shaking flotsam and jetsam from his hair for the next _year_. “What else have you been up to? Besides following obsolete government organizations on Twitter.”

Flash sighed and ran up a wall to take care of a snapped phone cord that was raining sparks on the mangled robotic bodies of Darkseid’s demons that Aquaman had put out of the way. 

Hal poked his right ear and wondered if the explosions of the fight had busted his hearing because it was almost uncomfortably silent now, when only a few hours ago the darkest maniac space had to offer had managed to give evil a sound. Thrumming, marbled with static like a chorus of engines churns.

Then there was the press conference, the crowds of grateful people and flustered government agents pretending this was their plan all along. That seven of the most powerful people on Earth managed to survive meeting each other in order to save the day and kick some serious ass as part of some shady organization’s super pet project. Ha, right.

“Do they think we’re friends?” the kid, Cyborg, asked in bewilderment.

Hal would give them this: their PR team deserved a raise. 

_Look_ , he wanted to say, _the worst thing you could’ve imagined has already zipped up his coat and headed back to whatever hellscape he came from_. And for anything else, Hal’s here, this entire space sector was under his protection. _I got this._

“Barry let’s get out of here, I’m starting to hear colors,” he said in the general direction of his friend. His _only_ real friend in this weird spandex-loving club, thanks.

“ _Names_.” Batman growled at him.

Oh yeah. Him. Hal had googled Bruce Wayne after Batman revealed his identity to him during the battle before going off to rescue Superman. When he’d been allowed to rest during clean up, he’d sat atop a semi sturdy-looking pile of bricks and used his ring to search him up. He’d gotten scarred for life for his trouble after seeing the cover of Men’s Health sporting Bruce Wayne in a white button up and a grey tie and nothing else. Those were _Batman’s_ _naked thighs_. God no, no, _no, why_ –

Hal was certain of one thing. There was something wonky going on under that cowl. There had to be for a billionaire to be doing whatever the loving shit Batman was doing.

But it was not his problem. It wasn’t like he was going to ever see the man again.

__

Hal Jordan had honestly thought this Justice League thing was a one-time deal. Sure, the world had almost ended via an alien invasion, but was that really reason enough to start being civil to Batman? Barry seemed to think so. Hal tried very hard to not give Barry everything he wanted, but sometimes the speedster wore him down.

Now, over a year later they were close enough - at least according to the media - that they had a secret base in space! Also, they were big enough of a threat - and Hal was unashamedly proud of that - that a villain had started collecting their weaknesses and trying to unearth their secret identities to destroy them. They shouldn't have bothered, Hal was about to go nuclear on these guys. 

“For the _last time_ ,” he growled from the edge of his seat in the conference room. “I didn’t eat your korean stir-fried fish cake.”

“Eomuk bokkeum.” Arthur snapped in his holier-than-thou voice that was just his normal voice. “And you’re the only one stupid enough to touch my food.”

“Hey!”

“Enough,” Barry said with paternal cadence, and both Arthur and Hal’s narrowed eyes moved to Food-Stealer Suspect Number Two. Barry noticed. 

“Oh _come_ _on_ ,” he said. 

Cyborg blinked at them. The projection of the data their new villain had managed to gather about them flowed out of his fingertips in a blue/silver light making him appear older than he was. 

“Do you guys like dinosaurs?” Victor asked.

“What?” 

“I just thought you guys were fans of Testosterone-Rex.”

“Oh, nice one!” Hal said, pointing at Cyborg with finger guns. “Did Wonder Woman teach you that one?”

“What if I did, Lantern?” Diana asked, teasing, as she strode into the room wearing a grin as dangerous as her short sword and sat down at her place at the table. 

“Then I have to say I’m impressed, your jabs are getting better and better.”

“Batman just hit the transporters,” Cyborg informed them. “ETA four minutes.”

Hal snorted.

“I want to know how this happened,” Batman growled as a greeting four minutes later. “How has a civilian become a major security breach problem?” 

Cyborg shook his head. “I don’t know, they left no digital trail. If I didn’t know better I would said our fan made a deal with the devil or something for the information he got.”

“Hnn,” Batman said.

“Wait, are we actually considering that someone made a pact with the devil?” Barry asked. Hal could hear his scientist sensibilities getting bruised.

“It appears so,” Cyborg said, the corner of his mouth kicking up. “And I hacked them.”

“What did you find?” Diana asked.

Cyborg went serious again. Kid needed to relax, he could join him and Barry on their monthly drinks-and-game night, might do him good.

“This person, whoever they are, they know about our weaknesses.”

Hal looked at the people around him.

“You are half a supercomputer from an apocalyptic planet. I can make solid constructs of everything I want with my mind,” he said raising his fist, green ring glowing. Then he pointed at everyone in turn. “Fastest man alive, goddess, king, Batman.” He laced his fingers behind his head and laid back on his seat. “What weaknesses?” 

Cyborg shared a glance with Batman.

“Well,” he started and if he’d still been able to clear his throat, he may have done it then. “They know that the Flash is Barry Allen, a forensic scientist working for the CCPD.” 

Well, shit.

Hal stole a glance at Barry. Flash stood straighter, face blank, but to his credit, he didn’t freak out about his secret identity being revealed in terms that weren’t his own. 

“They know about Patty Spivot,” Cyborg continued. Hal leaned forward, slouch abandoned. 

“Who the hell is Patty Spivot?”

“Someone I work with in the crime lab,” Barry answered.

“You never told me you were seeing anyone,” Hal said, trying for a teasing tone and a grin. 

“Because you hit on my last date, five minutes after we sat down for dinner.” 

“Why were you crashing Flash’s date?” Diana asked.

“Why wouldn’t I?” Hal shrugged.

“They also know that Batman tracks our every move because he doesn’t trust us,” Cyborg said, going back to business.

Hal rolled his eyes.

“I’m sure we’re all in shock.”

“Then they don’t know everything,” a new voice said. It’d been bothering Hal, the empty chair at the table. “Batman trusts _me_.”

Hal turned his sight to the man leaning against the threshold, light from the big windows at his back so the shadows of the room played over his face, only his hot-flame blue eyes distinct. 

“You’re late Superman,” Diana said, fond. The only answer she got was a grin.

“Dude, you could cut yourself on those cheekbones,” Hal whispered to Barry, maybe a little bit jealous.

“You could lose an arm to those cheekbones,” Barry fired back. And then with a shit eating grin, “Wait, do you have a man-crush? On Superman?” 

“Superman and I work together outside of this team,” Batman said, managing to wrap the few shadows in the room around himself even as Superman came to stand beside him.

“I’m not the one with the crush,” Hal mumbled.

“I don’t like lies,” Diana started, her expression was disappointed, Hal almost apologized on reflex. “Some of us know each other secret identities. And some of us are still on the dark.” She looked between Hal and Barry, then Batman and Superman.

“How are we supposed to be a team if our enemies know more about us than we do?” Aquaman asked.

“I hope this doesn’t make it to the general public’s ears,” Cyborg said. “The press would have a field day, right Superman?”

“Oh," Superman said. “You know.” 

“Know what?” Barry asked.

“Superman’s a reporter.”

“You what?” Barry spluttered.

“You have a civilian identity?” Hal asked, skeptical.

“My name is Clark Kent,” Superman said with a bashful smile.

“Thank you for trusting us, Clark,” Diana said, smiling. “Charmed to meet you.”

“You know what I can’t help but notice?” Arthur asked, fake casual. “You have not said anything about Batman’s identity, Cyborg.”

“Yeeeah, couldn’t find it,” Cyborg said, finally shutting down his projections.

Hal twitched. 

He tried to avoid looking at Batman like a d-list villain at his interrogator, but it proved futile. When he finally side-eyed him, his face was as still as before. Immovable as a mountain, and cold as a russian winter.

This was a great opportunity to come clean to the team that had bleed form him -with him- for more than a year, Hal thought. Everyone’s secret identities were already in the open. That sounded sensible. Unless you had met Batman. In which case it was delusional, irrational, and absurd. 

So it didn’t surprise Hal when Batman stayed silent. 

This was going to blow up in Hal’s face, somehow.

__

"Hey guys, Diana's video-chatting with Steve Trevor," Victor said, thrusting a thumb at the common room. 

"Oh great, we're out of food," Hal said.

He found Diana in front of a laptop talking to the Justice League' liaison. He leaned forward so that he was inside the frame, interrupting Diana's story about trying mexican food for the first time. 

"Hi Steve, how's it going, we need you to beam up more boxes of-"

"Oh, hi Green Lantern, you know what _I_ need?" Trevor asked, way too cheerful for any army brat. "I need you to stop attempting to fight political leaders. Yes, even if they're assholes. It’s bad for team morale. Remember your sensitivity training." 

“What sensitivity training?” Hal asked, indignant. 

“Yeah, that was an oversight,” Trevor said.

"Um, guys?" Cyborg's voice came from the Watchtower’s sound system. “Does anyone know where Batman is?”

“No,” Diana said, knowing Victor would pick up the audio. “What is the matter, Cyborg?”

“There’s a situation in Gotham, Bruce Wayne’s been kidnapped.”

“You’re faster than any of my tech guys _and_ Twitter, Cyborg,” Trevor cut in, looking down at his phone. “I’m just being called to debrief. My team thinks the League’s services won’t be necessary but they want us to keep an eye on the situation nonetheless. When I became the League’s liaison, Batman made it clear that we were to say out of Gotham unless invited.”

“Yeah, that’s a mistake I won’t be making twice,” Hal said.

“Who is Bruce Wayne, and why would someone abduct him?” Diana asked.

“He’s only one of the richest men in the country, to answer your first question,” Trevor said. “And I can think of seven reasons to kidnap him right at the top of my head.”

“Bruce Wayne,” Diana repeated, brow furrowed. “I believe Superman has mentioned him before.” Which meant they’d been gossiping again at their weekly brunch. Hal noticed she didn’t use Clark’s real name, she may’ve liked Trevor, but he wasn’t privy to secret identities.

“Superman knows Bruce Wayne?” Trevor asked with a raised eyebrow.

_Of course he knows Bruce Wayne_ , Hal almost said. _He’s practically dating the guy._ Then he had to swallow it down along with a little bit of blood from his bitten tongue.

“Call Superman, he will know where Batman is,” Diana said, standing up and taking the laptop with her. Also ignoring Trevor’s question, maybe because she would’ve had to explain why Superman had interviewed Gotham’s favorite son. “I will meet you at the War Room.”

__

“Hey, boy scout, we have a situation,” Hal said at the edge of the gym’s pool. 

“I know that _you_ know that I was never in the boy’s scouts,” Clark said, hauling himself halfway off the water, elbows on the tile, and staring up at Hal, ink-black curls dripping water all over. 

“You really like the pool, huh?” Hal asked, briefly distracted by the sigh of Superman out of his suit. It was on oddly vulnerable sight. It was misleading in a way that made a little part of Hal want to fight him and see if he could win. “I think you spend more time here that Aquaman.”

“He likes salt water better,” he said. “But the feature that increases the water’s density is fun.”

“Right, only you would call swimming in water a hundred times heavier ‘fun’.”

“Lantern, the situation?” Clark reminded him. 

Hal hadn’t forgotten. He just thought the whole situation was on a level of bullshit so high he couldn’t even find it funny. Here he was, fetching Batman’s best friend to ask him if he knew if the vigilante’s schedule was free so he could go save himself. Okay, it was a little funny. 

“Gotham’s in the news again, Bruce Wayne’s been kidnapped,” Hal said, watching Clark’s face closely. His expression immediately shutted down, face like blank marble. “Do you have any idea were Batman could be?”

“What?” Clark asked, and his face didn’t change but his voice was pure confusion. Oh yeah, he _knew_. “No. No I don’t know where he is,” he said, recovering. “But don’t worry. He will be close to the scene.”

“All right, I’ll take your word for it.” Hal grinned. “War Room, put on some clothes. Diana’s taking point.”

Clak nodded and hauled himself completely off the water, lean muscles rippling and wet skin shining. 

_Show off_.

“Where’s Batman?” Diana asked as Hal entered the room.

“Supes says he’s already there,” Hal said, nodding at the projection of a run-of-the-mill warehouse on the war room screens. 

“You got sidetracked by snacks?” Barry asked, incredulous, staring at the bowl Hal was carrying. 

“I’m sorry, are we doing anything other that watching the feed?” Hal snarked. Then with a thought he got rid of his mask and directed the whole force of his puppy-dog eyes at Barry. “You want some?”

“Stop acting cute,” Barry said. “How dare you?”

“And Superman?” Diana interrupted, glaring at them.

“I’m here,” he said, floating in. “What do we know?”

“It has been at least six hours since Bruce Wayne was abducted on his way to WE,” Diana said.

_Six hours?!_ God, Batman was getting slow in his old age. What was taking him so long to free himself? Then again, maybe he was trying to sell it, making it look like it’d been luck that he could escape his captors’ hold. Hal glanced at the bottom of the news feed. Two-face’s crooks. Yeah, no. He didn’t know who that was. Or maybe, if he was using the Batman approach, he was waiting to make a point to show that saving Wayne’s ass was not Batman’s priority. It’s not like anyone would be the wiser. 

“When was the last time you had contact with Batman?” Diana asked.

“Why?” Superman asked too quickly. Hal brought some salted peanuts to his mouth. 

“He might have known about the abduction since the moment it happened and he may not be answering our calls because he’s working on it.”

“Right, yes.” Superman cleared his throat. “Well, the timing fits.”

"We've got incoming transmission." Cyborg said from where he was manning the computer. Or the computer was manning him. Both. “It’s from Gotham’s area.”

“Could it be Batman?” Wonder Woman asked.

“It’s coming from a civilian phone, so I don’t-- Oh,” Cyborg seemed taken aback, which almost never happened. “And it’s a call to Clark Kent’s phone.”

And then, the strangest thing happened. It was as if those words were the worst thing Superman had ever heard. The blood left his face and his eyes widened. Hal hadn’t seen him this affected even after two hours in Darkseid’s torture chamber/science lab. His blue eyes tracked frantically over the room and then fixed on Cyborg, who was connecting the call to the main computer so that everyone could hear.

“It’s from -- Cyborg, wait,” Superman rasped. “Don’t--”

Cyborg projected the call to the screen. Hal was slow to realize what he was seeing.

_Incoming call. “Daddy”_

Clark’s face was a rictus of terror.

“Your father is calling you?” Cyborg asked. “From Gotham?”

Superman choked.

“ _No_ ,” Hal said, realizing what this meant.

Barry was speechless. Hal nudged him with the bowl of snacks, this time he took some. 

“That’s not his father,” Hal said, grinning. _Who would’ve thought the boy scout in blue was a kinky motherfucker?_ This was the best day of his life. 

Cyborg, in all the wisdom his eighteen years gave him, took the call. Bless his soul.

“Clark.” The voice cut through the silence like a scythe. It was a warm growl, crunchy syllables familiar and different all the same. Hal lost the ability to form complex thought around this point. 

“Ngg,” Superman said.

“I know we had plans for lunch,” the man said, tired, wry. “But I’m in the middle of taking my things back from Two Face's hired goons--”

“Bruce,” Clark cut in, pained. “You-- you’re on speaker.”

There was a beat of silence. 

“I see,” Bruce _fucking_ Wayne said.

“I--” Clark started. “I need to take this, could you--” He floated erratically, making vague hand gestures in the screen’s direction. 

“Oh,” Cyborg said. “ _Oh_.”

“Cyborg,” Diana spoke for the first time in a while, expression controlled, but Hal didn't know if it was because she was trying to be kind, or because she was trying not to laugh. “Disconnect the call, please.”

“You got that?!” Hal heard himself ask. Barry punched him in the arm.

When they looked up again, Superman was gone.

__

“Any word from Superman?” Was the first thing Batman asked. The guy had never heard about pleasantries like saying hello. 

It’d been two days since they all learned a little bit more about the Man of Steel than they’d cared to. Superman had left the Watchtower in record time according to Cyborg’s readings, and a couple hours later Bruce Wayne had been taken into police custody. 

Hal was practicing the same amount of control he did when creating particularly tricky constructs, holding back from teasing Batman literally by sheer force of will. This was just too good. 

It was a good thing that they had a distraction. Amazo was an android capable of absorbing any and all natural skills and special abilities of an individual he got close enough to, having Superman in the fight would be a double edged sword. Hal was surprised Batman had let him come. Oh, _bad_ choice of words. 

“He just landed on the bay,” Cyborg said, giving Batman a little considering look. 

“Then let’s go,” Batman said.

Amazo had used at one point Diana’s magic armour against Superman and he’d fallen a fifty feet to the ground. Batman had growled something inhuman into the open comms and had moved faster than any human should been able to while wearing that much kevlar to get to his side. It had been tricky to defeat him, but they were the Justice League. _They got this._

Smoke was still dissipating and the dust was settling after the fight when Aquaman spoke.

“He’s back,” he said. 

“Oh, for Christ’s sake,” Hal groaned, noticing who he was talking about. 

“Hey guys!” Green Arrow waved at him. The subpar green vigilante had been trying to join the team for weeks now, he was there in all their fights, trying to pitch them, but they were _not_ having any tryouts. 

“Come on man, just let me--”

“Thanks but no thanks,” Hal interrupted. “We already have one guy with a quiver of gadgets,” he said, pointing at Batman. “Metaphorical quiver. It’s a bat-belt. Anyway, if Batman sprains his ankle, we’ll call you.” Then to Batman, “Totally lying, we wouldn’t call him.”

“Thanks,” Batman said, dryly.

“I think we should consider it,” Superman said, back at the Watchtower. The first words he’d said all day without blushing.

“ _Not_ Green Arrow,” Arthur said in a tone that on anyone else would be close to begging. 

“Maybe, maybe not,” Superman said, floating behind them on their way to their quarters. “There are a lot of people out there who could do this team good.”

Hal turned around, he couldn’t believe Clark didn’t get it. “This team is fine,” He said, earnest. “Just the seven of us.”

“I’m going to agree with Lantern for once,” Batman said. “It’s too much of a risk to let any stranger in.”

__

“Have you noticed how close Superman and Batman are?” Cyborg asked after, trying to sound casual and missing by a mile.

It was Victor, Arthur, Barry and Hal in the common room, the Earth rotating slowly through the windows, their Trinity gone to do whatever they did when they were together. It was Barry’s turn to cook the post battle meal, which wasn’t as fast as it could’ve been by virtue of food cooking so much slower than the Flash could make it.

“No,” Arthur said, nose buried in a book.

“Liar,” Barry teased.

“It’s just,” Cyborg continued, biting his lip, a very human gesture. And the kid was worried that the he’d lost his humanity in the accident that gave him the mother box. “We know that Superman is dating Bruce Wayne.”

“We do?” Arthur asked. “Gotham’s playboy? That Bruce Wayne?”

“That’s what happens when you leave us for the dolphins,” Hal grinned. “You miss on the good gossip.”

“I was trying to stop my brother from waging war on the surface.”

“But it’s obvious that Batman also has a thing going on with Superman,” Cyborg continued.

Hal screamed internally.

“Maybe they’re just good fri-- no I can’t say it, I think they’re totally fucking,” Arthur said. 

Barry made a face. Hal decided to mess with him further because very few things brought him more joy than making Barry a blushing _mess_.

“Man, we can totally sell this to a paper, right? _‘Superman, Gotham’s prince_ good boy _’._ ” 

“Hal!” Barry said, an octave higher.

“I could pay all my debts,” Hal continued.

“I could pay college,” Cyborg said, grinning.

“I could pay people to shut up,” Arthur piped in.

“Bar, you could buy all the food that metabolism of yours demands constantly.” Hal poked him as he said it.

“Yeah, right, Batman would kill you before you could cash in the first check.” Barry rolled his eyes.

That made Victor frown again. “Superman just doesn’t seem the type to do that.”

“He’s a beautiful specimen of a man, he can sleep with whomever he wants, and who knows, maybe Batman doesn’t mind,” Hal said, feeling like he needed to preserve Victor’s hero worship, the kid needed positive male figures in his life. And Clark didn’t deserve to be dragged just because his boyfriend was a paranoid asshole. 

“He’s not a god, as much as people like to say that,” Arthur said. “He’s just a good man. But he’s still not perfect.” 

“You want my advice, kid?” Hal asked. “Don’t overthink it.”

__

They all over thought it. No one ever listened to Hal.

The villain that had unburied their secrets, was using the information to free their rogues from prison. He was going for those who were a particularly sore spot. Both Arkham Asylum and Iron Heights had been attacked and the inmates had gone into full blown prison break mode.

“Look at all this mess!” Flash said, waving his arms at what used to be a wall. 

The two of them and Wonder Woman were taking Iron Heights; Batman, Superman and Cyborg were at Gotham, having fun with the gargoyles. Wonder Woman had gone in to talk to the warden, because people didn’t question when _she_ needed to know things.

“You could clean it up all in five seconds,” Hal said.

“Me?!” 

“Come on dude, superspeed.”

Flash huffed, but abandoned his sullen pose for a contemplative one. 

"Do you think Superman's dating both Batman and Bruce Wayne?" He asked with a far away look.

"Not you too," Hal groaned.

"You're not even a little curious?" 

Actually, thinking about it too much was a critical mistake, because largely, he didn’t want to think about Batman’s sex life. But knowing what he did about him and Superman, well, he would be lying if he said it wasn’t one of the hottest things he’d ever heard. Superman would be so good for Batman, he could take it rough. Batman was a control freak, it was maddening at times, but the thought of him manhandling Clark, of him keeping him in place with just a command...it was too much. 

Of course, he couldn’t say that to Barry. He could almost never say what he was thinking at any given moment. He would have been stabbed to death years ago.

“I think Clark is…” _just having a normal relationship with one single guy. A normal relationship with a crazy man that dresses up like a bat and haunts the night. That is full of kinky sex._ “...too good for both of them, can we change topics?” Hal finished lamely.

Barry stared at him like he’d grown a second head. 

“Alright,” Hal said, “Do you want to go ask some villains what do they know about the prison break?”

“Yeah, okay,” Barry said, shaking himself. “Only if I can be bad cop.”

“Haha, no.”

“Come on! Just this once!”

“You’re terrible at it.”

“I’m not.”

“You really are.”

“Please, I’ll run to China to get chinese food.”

That thing about giving Barry everything he wanted still stood, but. “Ugh, fine.”

__

They were fighting some kind of slime monster, because this was Hal’s life now. Luckily, the bastards went down easily. But they had nasty teeth. Batman had a four-inches wide wound on his left leg, it wasn’t deep, but still. When we wavered, Superman went up to steady him like it was the most natural thing in the world and Batman only glared at him a little.

The rest of the League pretended not to notice, and pretended _very badly_ , because Hal heard Diana smack Arthur when he whispered, “Wow, he has it _bad_.”

It was raining and it was annoying as hell, so Hal opened up construct-umbrellas above everyone as he floated up behind Cyborg’s shoulder to peer at the files he’d dug up on the scientist that was trying to take over the world this week. That was what happened when people went to college to study evil things like organic chemistry. Barry sent a nasty look Hal’s way like he could hear what he was thinking, Hal grinned at him in return.

Diana came over to examine the files along with them, and Hal moved the umbrella along with her. It seemed to drag attention to his little constructs and Aquaman glared at his.

“I don’t need an umbrella, Lantern,” he said. Hal closed his umbrella.

“I think Batman knows,” Wonder Woman said, softly. “About Bruce and Superman’s relationship, I mean.”

Hal’s eyes went huge. “ _You’re_ gossiping in the middle of a mission?”

Diana glared at him. “Say it louder, Lantern, I think they didn’t hear you in Paradise Island.”

“He must know,” Barry said. “He’s Batman.”

“Well, good,” Diana said. “I thought about telling him. He deserves to know, yes? I know he cares deeply about Superman, but I also know Clark adores him. I don’t want either of them to be hurt by this.”

Hal’s eyes rolled so hard he strained something. Barry jabbed him in the liver with scary precision. Hard.

“ _Fuck_ , what was that for?”

Barry didn’t answer him, in fact, he didn’t talk to him for the rest of the mission and Hal was starting to work himself into a frenzy, thinking about all the things he could’ve said and done to push Barry through his limit, to damage the best friendship he’d ever had.

When they returned to their quarters, Hal took a shower in record time, eager to get out of there and return to his city, but when he opened his bathroom’s door, he found Barry sitting on his bed, frowning at the carpet.

“Hey,” he said.

“Hi, I want to talk about something,” Barry started.

Hal felt like he was being dumped. But for Barry to leave him, they’d have to be – and they weren’t. It’s not like Hal never thought about it. About what would it be like to take Barry out on a date, to hold his hand, to tug him close and kiss him breathless. 

He was already one of the most important people in his life – and he wore bright red spandex over _those legs_ , and Hal wasn’t blind –. He just wasn’t good with relationships, and he would rather cut his own arm than lose Barry because Hal was too much of a fuck up.

“Remember that time I teased you with your crush on Clark?” Barry asked, nonsensically.

“No?” Hal asked. Hits to the face had been less surprising.

“Well it doesn’t matter,” Barry said, with a sudden determined glint in his eyes. They were a pale blue, like the sky. “The thing is, I didn’t know it was the real deal. I didn’t know how you felt about Clark.”

“What.” _What the fuck is going on?_ Hal thought, wildly. _Was I transported to another universe while I was taking a shower? Those are a thing, right?_

“I’m sorry I ignored you today,” Barry said, and he _did_ sound sorry, which was nice. Except Hal was too confused – and maybe a little afraid – by the turn the conversation was taking to appreciate it. “I was hurt. I thought we were going somewhere --”

“We were?” Hal asked, stupidly. _Oh my god,_ he wants to say, _we were?_

“I’m sorry I assumed.” Barry grimaced. Hal wanted to punch himself.

“No! Don’t be sorry!”

“I should’ve talked to you, you’re my best friend and I want you to be happy –“

“ _You_ make me happy, you moron,” Hal interrupted. “Wait, go back. What did you say – what did you say about me having feelings for Clark?”

_Shit_ , Hal thought. No. No. That was – well, it was factually not true. Clark was a good guy and everything, and Hal loved having him in the League, because he loved the League and Clark was his friend – the guy was on the top ten of people who genuinely cared about Hal. But Hal didn’t want to sleep with him. _Jesus_ , Batman was going to kill him. Wait.

The maelstrom of confusing feeling in his chest started to coalesce into a single one – anger -- at the same time he started to get an inkling of what was happening, and whose fault this mess was. _Oh, that fucking rodent loving son of a bitch!_

“You’ve been weird since we found out Clark– um, since Bruce Wayne was kidnapped,” Barry said. “You became Clark’s enthused fan number one, you started snapping at Batman more so than usual,” he said, bitterly. “Sorry, I’m trying to tell you that I’ve got your back on this one, Hal? Where’re you going?”

“I’m going to go punch Batman in the face,” he answered, walking to the door. “And when I come back, Barry, I’m going to kiss you so hard you’re going to go cross-eyed. Wait here, okay?”

“Okay? No, Hal! What the hell are you doing? Ah, man. Where is your first aid kit?”

__

“You need to tell the rest of the team who you are,” Hal said. Growled. Whatever.

Batman didn’t even raise his head from the grappling hook he was fixing on one of the Watchtower’s lab’s tables, bits of rare metal alloys and wires littering the surface. “No,” he said.

Hal remained quiet for a moment because he couldn’t risk opening his mouth and having _'Now listen here you stupid motherfucker_ ' come out. But he wanted to. Oh, he wanted to so much he was _burning_.

“Why not?” He asked through gritted teeth.

“Why do you want me to reveal my identity? All this time you’ve never cared,” Batman said in his usual composed growl.

“Because the League knows Superman is dating you! The two ‘you’s’! They think he spars with you topless and then goes to Gotham so Bruce Wayne can take him down! And they’ve spent weeks trying very hard not to judge him, and not feel sorry for you!”

Hal had managed to get to Batman, he knew, otherwise he’d have never let his guard down enough for him to turn his head to look at the Metropolis Meteors mug of cold tea, resting atop an old paperbag under all the other equipment Batman was using. It was just a fraction of a second, but Hal saw it.

“It really isn’t any of their business,” Batman replied, recovering.

_That fucking sucker_.

“Look, I know you have a black void where your trust in others should be –” Hal started. 

“What did you mean,” Batman interrupted him. _Stupid flying mammal wannabe_. “By ‘they think he goes to Gotham so Bruce Wayne can take him down’?”

“What do you think?” Hal asked, and thought, fuck it. “ _Daddy_.”

Batman growled and moved faster than almost everyone Hal knew – almost -- and grabbed the front of his shirt, dragging him forward. “ _Think about what you’re about to say next_.”

“Oh, I did,” Hal said. “What are you so afraid of, Bruce? These people would walk into hell for you if you asked.” He waited a beat. “They deserve a little trust in turn.”

Batman stayed silent, radiating heat like the desert, ready to strike like a stroke.

“Besides, they wouldn’t betray you in fear of disappointing Superman.” Hal smirked.

Batman huffed and released him. Hal rolled his shoulders back in an attempt to recover his cool.

“I’ll think about it,” he finally said.

Hal sighed in relief, because he knew that Bruce didn’t talk unless he’d already made up his mind. But mostly, because he lived in a world were at any moment, everything could change. Possibility was his fuel, and he had to believe there was a possibility that Batman could trust them.

“I should go,” Hal said, deciding to retreat while he was ahead.

Batman, as expected, didn’t say anything.

When he returned to his sleeping quarters, he was honestly surprised to find Barry was apparently still there. As soon as the door opened, he was on his feet and approaching Hal.

“Oh, thank fuck,” Barry said, and Hal winced because Barry almost never swore. “What the hell is going on Hal?” The last part of his sentence was muffled by Hal’s lips.

“Oh,” Barry said, when they parted for air. “Do you --?”

“Yeah,” Hal said, grinning. “I do.”

“Thank _fuck_ ,” Barry said.

Hal almost couldn’t kiss him because he was smiling so hard.

__

They managed to capture their villain, the one that had started all this mess. It’d been hard, but honestly, things could’ve only gone one way once Wonder Woman whipped out her sword. They were still riding the high of the longest, hardest battle they’d won in recent memory when Barry spoke up.

“Oh wait, Cyborg, you transporting us up?”

“Yeah, why? Would you prefer running?”

“God, no, I’m exhausted, but remember me again, how many times have we used the transporter since the last… incident?”

“Oh, that,” Cyborg said, blushing. “One hundred times. I swear I’m working on it.”

“One hundred times since the transporter glitched and we ended up on Apokolips instead of the Watchtower?” Arthur asked.

“How many times was it last time?” Superman asked.

“One hundred times,” Batman answered.

“Well,” Hal said, trying to ignore the various aches in his body, which were a lot. “Anyone up for kicking some parademon ass?”

“It’s like old times,” Diana said, with gusto and Hal couldn’t pick up if it was fake or genuine.

“Well, nothing else for it. You ready?” Cyborg asked.

“Hit us, kid,” Hal said.

The portal opened, white light crackling like lightning but less raw, drawing perfect circles, they walked into it… and appeared right into someone’s backyard in the ecumenopolis of hell. Everything was on fire, as usual, even the sky. If Hal had to guess, he would say they landed in Armagedda. He gave one of the spires that raised to the sky like a middle finger to god a second look. Maybe they were in Terrorium.

“Damn it,” Cyborg swore.

“Not your fault, kid,” Hal said. “Come on, Superman, let’s give these guys some aerial support.” Hal grinned.

“Wait,” Batman said.

“For what?”

“I hate to say this more every time,” Batman said. “But you were right, Lantern.”

Hal would be offended by everyone else’s expressions of incredulity if he wasn’t sure they reflected his own. He raised an eyebrow.

“I was?”

“This team,” Batman started, something like pride in his voice. “Really would walk into hell for one another.” Batman removed the cowl. A sight that didn’t became less weird the second time around.

Cyborg gasped, Wonder Woman shifted in her place, Aquaman’s mouth hung open. Barry punched Hal in the arm.

“Ouch! Why do you keep doing that?”

“Sorry, sorry!” Barry said, but then, “You knew!”

“Yeah, but what did you want me to do about it?”

“If we die, I want you all to know who died beside you,” Batman said. “My name is Bruce Wayne.”

All of then turned to look at Superman, but he was only looking at Batman.

“ _Finally_ ,” he said. “A lot grimmer than I thought it’d be, but I’ll take it.”

“Hnn,” Bruce Wayne said.

“Incoming horde of parademons,” Cyborg said. “ETA one point five minutes.”

“Let’s change things a little,” Wonder Woman said, with a bloodthirsty smile. “I will take Bruce as my partner today, is that okay, Aquaman?”

“Good luck,” Arthur said to Batman, who had put on the cowl again. “Should’ve told her earlier.”

“Okay, League,” Hal said, grinning. “We got this.”


	2. Who do you love?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter gives the E rating to the fic.

It began with lust solidly buried in subtext.

For months Superman and Batman built their friendship, on the grounds that it was good for the world if they learned to work with one another. An odd partnership if there ever was one, but it worked for them. Maybe a little too well.

And then, that singular moment. The pure urgency of it. A series of coincidences and simultaneous desire. There was something in the atmosphere, something in the time and place that brought them together.

So here Clark was now. Waiting for Batman in his sleeping quarters. Bruce just did one of the bravest things he could’ve done, he finally showed his face to the rest of the Justice League, and the only thing Clark could think about was that day, weeks ago, when Bruce called him while being held hostage for leverage by his youth’s best friend.

He should’ve just saved him in his phone as 'Bruce'.

“Darling, your look can actually kill,” Bruce said, half reprimand, half gentle mocking when he entered his study, where Clark was curled in his – overpriced – black leather office chair.

Clark made a conscious effort to stop scowling. 

“Darling?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. 

“Well,” Bruce said. And oh, he was definitely laughing at Clark. “I didn’t think you would want me to call you as I usually do. In light of recent events.”

“You heard about that?” Clark winced.

Bruce hummed. “Do you mind that they know?” He asked, calculated, he would proceed accordingly depending on Clark’s answer.

“Yes. No. I don’t know, it was just mortifying.”

“Did any of them hear you calling me Daddy?”

Clark couldn’t help but shiver, almost violently, at the way Bruce said it.

“No.”

“Good,” Bruce’s voice rumbled, possessive. “That’s only for me to hear.”

“What are you still doing all the way over there?” Clark asked.

Bruce grinned, lazy. He approached Clark, while taking the armor off. His movement were not sensual – yet – just efficient. He towered over Clark, who was still sitting at his desk chair.

“Did you hear Barry thought Hal had crush on you?” He asked, casual.

“Yeah,” Clark said. “That was hilarious.” He laughed, then he saw the look on Bruce’s face. “Oh, I take it back.”

“You’re my boy,” Bruce growled. And when Clark was too turned on to speak, he continued. “Aren’t you? Yes, get down on your knees.”

Bruce was only wearing black briefs now, propped against the edge of the desk. Clark slid to his knees in front of him.

“You smell so good,” he said.

Bruce’s hand came to rest on the top of his head, anchoring him. He looked so good, Clark wanted to paint on his body with his wet tongue. He started mouthing at Bruce’s length over the cloth, damp breath coming out rapidly. Sometimes, while he was doing this his heart beat so fast he couldn’t catch his breath. Clark leaned in, pressed his nose to the joint of Bruce’s hip, and licked the skin there. Then he carefully nipped at the fabric of Bruce’s briefs, he looked up at Bruce through his eyelashes and his cock throbbed when he met Bruce’s eyes, his pupils were blown wide. 

Feeling bold, Clark began to peel away the fabric over Bruce’s balls with his teeth and when the smell of him became intoxicating, he buried his face in his groin, through the space he’d made. Bruce made a sound like Clark had punched him without the aid of red-sun radiation.

Clark got the briefs out of the way and immediately latched his lips to Bruce’s frenulum, making him groan. Clark pulled back, taking him in hand and massaging the head with his lips.

“Open up,” Bruce said, in a voice that had Clark trembling.

Bruce fucked his face and came down Clark’s throat before Clark let himself say it. And then he couldn’t stop.

_Daddy,_ as Bruce’s hand moved between his thighs. _Daddy,_ as Bruce rubbed at the skin behind his sack. _Daddy,_ as Bruce laid him down on his obscenely expensive desk.

Bruce maintained eye contact while stroking him with one hand while rummaging through one of his drawers with the other, he extracted a bottle of lube. Silicon based. Clark wanted to be enthusiastically vocal at the thought of the lube’s silk-soft texture on his searing-hot skin. He grinned instead, dirty, from behind his sweat-drenched bangs. Because as much as he liked the feeling of it, he knew Bruce loved to use it to make a mess of Clark, lube and sweat making the glide easier, making his hold slip, forcing him to grip at Clark tighter -

Bruce grinned back, feral, and poured some lube into his fingers, opened his legs and smeared lube all over the soft skin on the interior of his thighs, coated his fingers with the lube again and touched his perineum. He kept rubbing and stroking until Clark, super senses running wild, felt ready to die from it. Bruce removed his hand then, running his fingers gently over the edges of the head of Clark’s cock.

“ _Damn you_ ,” Clark gasped.

“ _Shh_ , baby,” Bruce said.

“Say it,” Clark demanded. “Say that I can come.”

Bruce started moving again with very slow, light strokes. He laughed, bended down to kiss the corner of Clark’s mouth. “Say my name, Clark.” Bruce pressed the words to his ear, doing his level best to drive him crazy with short strokes around his cockhead, tightening his grip.

“ _Bruce_ ,” Clark gasped, choking on a shout. “ _Bruce_.”

“Yes,” Bruce said. “Yes, baby, you can come. _Clark_ , come for me.”

Clark couldn't keep quiet this time and moaned loudly as the world behind his eyelids went white with pleasure. He could feel Bruce scratching at his thighs, could hear him panting in his ear, and felt him kissing his face.

“Good?” Bruce asked.

Clark laughed, still a little buzzed.

“Really good,” he said.

There was silence as both of them recovered, comfortable and warm. Clark got up from the desk and stretched.

“They really thought you were dating Batman and Bruce Wayne at the same time?” Bruce voice was still rough from sex, but he was obviously amused.

Clark? Not so much.

“Keep laughing at the guy who just sucked your dick,” he said, only half serious. Bruce was gorgeous when he smiled.

“One would think they’d have figured it out then and there,” Bruce said, ignoring him.

“Well, you did a hell of a job making sure no one would. How do you feel about telling them?”

“Hm, it was a long time coming.”

Clark smiled brightly at him.

“Come here,” Bruce said, softly.

As soon as Clark was within reach, Bruce reached out to cradle his face in his hands – they still smelled of the geraniums he’d bought for Clark’s mother – and kissed him deeply.

Clark broke apart sooner than he would’ve liked and tilted his head to the side, listening.

“They put the game on the common room,” he informed Bruce. “There will be casualties.”

“Hmm, they won’t actually kill each other,” Bruce said. “That would make you sad, and I’ve been informed that neither of them would do something to make you actually upset.”

Clark gave him his best not-impressed face.

“Just promise you won’t use your powers for evil.”

“Damn, there go my plans for Friday.”

“Smartass, come join me in the shower.”

“I love this secret star base.”

“Me too,” Bruce said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to the superbat exchange mods! you are more than amazing!
> 
> Some of the dialogue was lifted from the original comic Justice League by Geoff Johns.


End file.
